US7668916B2 - System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients - Google Patents

System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients Download PDF

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US7668916B2
US7668916B2 US10/072,175 US7217502A US7668916B2 US 7668916 B2 US7668916 B2 US 7668916B2 US 7217502 A US7217502 A US 7217502A US 7668916 B2 US7668916 B2 US 7668916B2
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packet
clients
conferencing server
switched conferencing
circuit
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US20020107923A1 (en
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Frank J. Chu
Katherine W. Kwan
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Paltalk Holdings Inc
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Paltalk Holdings Inc
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Assigned to PALTALK HOLDINGS, INC. reassignment PALTALK HOLDINGS, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: CHU, FRANK J., KWAN, KATHERINE W.
Publication of US20020107923A1 publication Critical patent/US20020107923A1/en
Priority to US12/660,165 priority patent/US8078680B2/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US7668916B2 publication Critical patent/US7668916B2/en
Priority to US13/313,360 priority patent/US8700720B2/en
Priority to US14/251,810 priority patent/US9179003B2/en
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/56—Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L65/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication
    • H04L65/40—Support for services or applications
    • H04L65/403—Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L65/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication
    • H04L65/40—Support for services or applications
    • H04L65/403—Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences
    • H04L65/4038—Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences with floor control
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L9/00—Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
    • H04L9/40—Network security protocols
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/56—Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities
    • H04M3/562—Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities where the conference facilities are distributed
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/56—Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities
    • H04M3/567—Multimedia conference systems
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/56—Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities
    • H04M3/568—Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M7/00—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
    • H04M7/12—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
    • H04M7/1205—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
    • H04M7/1225—Details of core network interconnection arrangements
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q11/00—Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems
    • H04Q11/04—Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems for time-division multiplexing
    • H04Q11/0428—Integrated services digital network, i.e. systems for transmission of different types of digitised signals, e.g. speech, data, telecentral, television signals
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L65/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication
    • H04L65/1066—Session management
    • H04L65/1101—Session protocols
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M7/00—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
    • H04M7/0003—Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks
    • H04M7/0006—Interconnection between telephone networks and data networks where voice calls cross both networks
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M7/00—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
    • H04M7/0024—Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services
    • H04M7/0027—Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M7/00—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
    • H04M7/12—Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/13034—A/D conversion, code compression/expansion
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/1319—Amplifier, attenuation circuit, echo suppressor
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/13201—Change-over of service during connection
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/1324—Conference call
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/13296—Packet switching, X.25, frame relay
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q2213/00—Indexing scheme relating to selecting arrangements in general and for multiplex systems
    • H04Q2213/13389—LAN, internet

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to computer-based telephony networks and more particularly to software and servers that manage telephony conferencing.
  • Audio conferencing applications serve both the needs of business users and leisure users who are geographically distributed.
  • PSTN Public Service Telephone Network
  • POTS Plain Old Telephone System
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • STD Internet Standard
  • RRC Request for Comments
  • IP Internet Architecture Board
  • VoIP Voice over IP
  • PCs personal computers
  • VoIP further developed when, in March of 1996, the International Telecommunications Union-Telecommunications sector (ITU-T), a United Nations organization, adopted the H.323 Internet Telephony Standard.
  • ITU-T International Telecommunications Union-Telecommunications sector
  • H.323 provides the minimum standards that equipment must meet in order to send voice over the IP, and other packet-switched network protocols where quality of sound cannot be guaranteed.
  • conferencing servers also called multipoint control units (MCUs)
  • MCUs multipoint control units
  • SIP Session Initiation Protocol
  • IETF Internet Engineering Task Force
  • MMUSIC Multiparty Multimedia Session Control
  • SIP which is well-known in the relevant art(s), is a signaling protocol for Internet conferencing and telephony. SIP addresses users using an e-mail-like address and utilizes a portion of the infrastructure used for Internet e-mail delivery. It handles basic setup functions as well as enhanced services (e.g., call forwarding).
  • audio conferencing service providers need a means to link legacy circuit-switched systems to newer packet-switched systems in order to reach (or service) a broader range of clients and vice versa. Therefore, a method is needed to seamlessly link a combination of MCU architectures for packet based (e.g., IP-based) client and circuit switched (e.g., phone) based client conferencing. The linkage of this combination of MCUs should realize the capabilities of the various participants' equipment and provide the appropriate audio data to each participant.
  • packet based e.g., IP-based
  • circuit switched e.g., phone
  • the present invention is directed to a method that meets the above-identified needs, whereby packet switched (e.g., Internet Protocol (IP)) based clients (e.g., PC clients) and circuit switched (e.g., phone) clients can simultaneously participate in a single audio conference application.
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • the method and computer program product of the present invention include the steps of establishing a connection between a packet-switched (e.g., IP-based) conferencing server (also called multipoint control unit (MCU)) and a circuit-switched (e.g., phone-based) conferencing server and designating that connection as continuously active on each server.
  • a packet-switched e.g., IP-based
  • MCU multipoint control unit
  • the packet based MCU may be referred to as the “IP MCU,” which is one example of a packet based MCU.
  • the circuit switched MCU may be referred to as the “Phone MCU,” which is one example of a circuit switched MCU.
  • the IP MCU designates the connection as an active speaker (i.e., participant who is actually speaking rather than simply listening), thereby ensuring that the audio data of actively speaking phone-based clients is later distributed to the IP-based clients connected to the IP MCU.
  • the IP MCU receives a mixed and converted (mix of the audio streams of active speakers connected to the Phone MCU, that has been converted to an audio packet) phone client audio packet from the Phone MCU via the continuously active connection.
  • the IP MCU treats this packet as an active speaker packet and includes it in the active speaker mix for all its IP clients.
  • Both the IP MCU and the Phone MCU perform an “echo suppression” during the sending of packets so that each client, if they are an active speaker, will not hear themselves speaking.
  • the IP MCU receives audio packets from the actively speaking IP based clients connected to the IP MCU.
  • the IP MCU forwards the mix of the active speakers to the Phone MCU via the continuously active connection.
  • the Phone MCU treats this connection like just another active speaker Phone client. Because there is echo suppression where each active speaker will get a mix of all active speakers except themselves, the active speaker mix from the Phone MCU will not be forwarded back to itself. Likewise, the active speaker mix from the IP MCU going to the Phone MCU will not be forwarded back to itself because of echo suppression.
  • the process begins again as long as the continuously active connection between the two MCUs remains active. That is, the process continues until either the Phone MCU or the IP MCU ceases hosting the audio conference (i.e., the conference is terminated).
  • the method and computer program product of the present invention include the steps of establishing a connection between a Phone MCU and an IP MCU and designating that connection as an active speaker on each server.
  • This embodiment is similar to the embodiment first described above, except that the connection is now initiated by the Phone MCU rather than the IP MCU.
  • the Phone MCU designates this connection as continuously active, thereby ensuring that the audio data of actively speaking IP-based clients is later distributed to the phone-based clients connected to the Phone MCU.
  • the Phone MCU receives a mixed (mix of the audio packets of active speakers connected to the IP MCU) IP-based client audio packet from the IP MCU via the continuously active connection.
  • the Phone MCU converts this audio packet into an audio stream (i.e., an audio format that phone-based clients can receive) and sends the audio stream to each connected phone-based client connected to the Phone MCU.
  • an audio stream i.e., an audio format that phone-based clients can receive
  • both the IP MCU and the Phone MCU perform an “echo suppression” during the sending of packets and audio streams so that each client, if they are an active speaker, will not hear themselves speaking.
  • the Phone MCU receives audio streams from the actively speaking Phone-based clients connected to the Phone MCU.
  • the Phone MCU then converts (i.e., analog to digital conversion) these audio streams into audio packets. Then the Phone MCU forwards these packets to the IP MCU via the continuously active connection.
  • the process begins again as long as the continuously active connection between the two MCUs remains active. Thus, the process continues until either the Phone MCU or the IP MCU ceases hosting the audio conference (i.e., the conference is terminated).
  • an alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a gateway to bridge the time division multiplexing (TDM) connectivity on the Phone MCU (e.g. PRI lines) to packet connections on the IP MCU.
  • TDM time division multiplexing
  • This gateway would be necessary when the transport between the Phone and IP MCUs are different (e.g. H323 ethernet packets for the IP MCU, and a PRI digital phone line for the Phone MCU).
  • An advantage of the present invention is that it enables simultaneous audio conferencing between clients using multiple types of equipment and protocols.
  • Another advantage of the present invention is that service providers can continue to support their existing clients using either traditional phone services and IP-based connections, while offering the added convenience of simultaneously linking additional clients using other types of equipment and protocols.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the overall system architecture of an embodiment of the present invention, showing connectivity among the various components;
  • FIG. 2 is a flowchart representing the general operational flow according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a flowchart representing the general operational flow according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • the present invention is directed to a system and method that enables communication (i.e., audio conferencing) between a linked packet-switched server architecture for Internet Protocol (IP)-based clients and a circuit-switched server architecture for phone-based clients.
  • a service provider supplies the linkage infrastructure (i.e., full duplex dial-up or IP link), agreement terms, and facilities so that clients (i.e., participants) who subscribe to their conferencing services can take part in a multi-party audio conference application.
  • the service provider would also provide customer service, support, and billing as will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) after reading the description herein. Clients would connect to their respective servers using whatever equipment and protocol they currently have access to, and the invention would provide seamless linkage among the various clients.
  • FIG. 1 a block diagram illustrating the system architecture of an embodiment of the present invention, showing connectivity among the various components, is shown. More specifically, FIG. 1 illustrates a linked multipoint control unit (MCU) architecture 100 for packet-switched (IP-based) personal computer system clients and circuit-switched (phone-based) client conferencing.
  • MCU linked multipoint control unit
  • Architecture 100 includes a plurality of PC-based clients 102 (shown as clients 102 a - 102 n ) which connect to an IP-based MCU 104 .
  • Architecture 100 also includes a plurality of telephone-based clients 112 (shown as clients 112 a - 112 n ) which connect to a phone-based MCU 110 .
  • the connection between IP MCU 104 and phone MCU 110 is provided by a full-duplex client channel 108 .
  • Full-duplex client channel 108 enables a service provider to send and receive audio packets from PC-based clients 102 using, for example, the SIP protocol.
  • Full-duplex client channel 108 also enables a service provider to send and receive, for example, H.323 protocol packets from telephone-based clients 112 .
  • the client channel 108 looks like just another active speaker to both the IP MCU 104 and the Phone MCU 110 .
  • the transport may be different (e.g. H323 ethernet packets for the IP MCU 104 , and a PRI digital phone line for the Phone MCU 110 )
  • the client channel 108 may go through a protocol converter or gateway.
  • client refers to those who would access, use, and/or benefit from the system and method of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 a flowchart representing the general operational flow, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. More specifically, FIG. 2 depicts an example control flow 200 involved in providing a linked Internet Protocol (IP)-based client and phone-based client audio conference.
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • MCU IP multipoint control unit
  • FIG. 2 depicts an example control flow 200 involved in providing a linked Internet Protocol (IP)-based client and phone-based client audio conference.
  • IP Internet Protocol
  • MCU IP multipoint control unit
  • Control flow 200 begins at step 202 with control passing immediately to step 204 .
  • IP MCU 104 establishes a continuously active connection 108 to Phone MCU 110 .
  • Connection 108 is established as continuously active (i.e., recognized as active speaker by IP MCU 104 ), thereby ensuring that the audio data of actively speaking (e.g., participants who are actually speaking rather than simply listening) phone-based clients 112 is always included in the audio stream later distributed to the connected IP-based clients 102 .
  • IP MCU 104 also keeps an active speaker list so that it can limit the number of actively speaking IP-based clients 102 recognized and added to the stream, thus ensuring that the list does not become too large. If the number of actively speaking IP-based clients 102 becomes too large, the data being sent by the IP MCU 104 to every participant in the audio conference will be unintelligible (i.e., too many participants speaking on top of each other).
  • the IP MCU 104 receives a mixed and converted phone client audio packet from the Phone MCU 110 via the continuously active connection 108 .
  • the IP MCU 104 sends the mixed and converted phone client audio packet to each connected PC client 102 connected to IP MCU 104 .
  • the IP MCU 104 receives PC client 102 audio packet(s) from each actively speaking PC client 102 connected to IP MCU 104 .
  • the IP MCU 104 Upon receipt of PC audio packet(s), in step 212 , the IP MCU 104 forwards the actively speaking PC client audio packet(s) to the Phone MCU 110 via the continuously active connection 108 .
  • step 214 the process begins again if the continuously active connection 108 is still active.
  • control flow 200 continues until either the Phone MCU 110 or the IP MCU 104 ceases hosting the audio conference (i.e., the conference is terminated) as indicated by step 216 .
  • control flow 200 as presented in FIG. 2 assumes that there is an order to the Phone MCU mixing and the IP MCU forwarding packets. This is done for ease of explanation herein, whereas, in actuality, these events are asynchronous and simultaneous as suggested above. Further, as will also be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s), there may some delay between an active speaker becoming active on one MCU, and before that active speaker is heard on the other MCU, but it is symmetric.
  • FIG. 3 a flowchart representing the general operational flow, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is shown. More specifically, FIG. 3 depicts an example control flow 300 involved in providing a linked IP-based client and phone-based client audio conference.
  • the Phone multipoint control unit (MCU) 110 performs the initial steps necessary to establish a link to the IP MCU 104 .
  • Control flow 300 begins at step 302 with control passing immediately to step 304 .
  • the Phone MCU 110 establishes a continuously active connection 108 to IP MCU 104 .
  • Connection 108 is established as continuously active (i.e., recognized as active speaker by Phone MCU 110 ), thereby ensuring that the audio data of actively speaking (e.g., participants who are actually speaking rather than simply listening) IP-based clients 102 is always included in the audio mix later distributed to the connected phone-based clients 112 .
  • Phone MCU 110 also keeps an active speaker list so that it can limit the number of actively speaking phone-based clients 112 recognized and added to the mix, thus ensuring that the list does not become too large. If the number of actively speaking phone-based clients 112 becomes too large, the data being sent by the Phone MCU 110 to every participant in the audio conference will be unintelligible (i.e., too many participants speaking on top of each other).
  • the Phone MCU 110 receives a mixed PC client audio packet from the IP MCU 104 via the continuously active connection 108 .
  • the Phone MCU 110 receives an audio packet from each actively speaking phone client 112 connected to Phone MCU 110 .
  • the Phone MCU mixes the mixed PC client audio packet, received in step 306 , with the actively speaking phone client audio packet, received in step 308 , into a combined audio packet.
  • step 312 the Phone MCU 110 forwards the combined audio packet to phone clients 112 connected to Phone MCU 110 .
  • step 316 the process begins again if the continuously active connection 108 is still active.
  • control flow 300 continues until either the Phone MCU 110 or the IP MCU 104 ceases hosting the audio conference (i.e., the conference is terminated) as indicated by step 318 .
  • control flow 300 as presented in FIG. 3 assumes that there is an order to the Phone MCU mixing and the IP MCU forwarding packets. This is done for ease of explanation herein, whereas, in actuality, these events are asynchronous and simultaneous as suggested above. Further, as will also be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s), there may some delay between an active speaker becoming active on one MCU, and before that active speaker is heard on the other MCU, but it is symmetric.
  • the present invention i.e., architecture 100 , control flow 200 , control flow 300 , or any part thereof
  • the present invention may be implemented using hardware, software or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems.
  • the invention is directed toward one or more computer systems capable of carrying out the functionality described herein.
  • the computer system represents any single or multi-processor computer.
  • the computer system includes one or more processors.
  • the processor is connected to a communication infrastructure (e.g., a communications bus, cross-over bar, or network).
  • a communication infrastructure e.g., a communications bus, cross-over bar, or network.
  • the computer system can include a display interface that forwards graphics, text, and other data from the communication infrastructure (or from a frame buffer not shown) for display on the display unit.
  • the computer system also includes a main memory, preferably random access memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory.
  • the secondary memory may include, for example, a hard disk drive and/or a removable storage drive, representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, etc.
  • the removable storage drive reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit in a well-known manner.
  • the removable storage unit represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, etc. which is read by and written to by the removable storage drive.
  • the removable storage unit includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software and/or data.
  • secondary memory may include other similar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into the computer system.
  • Such means may include, for example, a removable storage unit and an interface. Examples of such may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM, or PROM) and associated socket, and other removable storage units and interfaces which allow software and data to be transferred from the removable storage unit to the computer system.
  • the computer system may also include a communications interface.
  • the communications interface allows software and data to be transferred between the computer system and external devices. Examples of the communications interface may include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a PCMCIA slot and card, etc.
  • Software and data transferred via the communications interface are in the form of signals which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical or other signals capable of being received by the communications interface. These signals are provided to the communications interface via a communications path (i.e., channel). This channel carries signals and may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, an RF link and other communications channels.
  • computer program medium and “computer usable medium” are used to generally refer to media such as a removable storage drive, a hard disk installed in a hard and signals.
  • These computer program products are means for providing software to the computer system.
  • the invention is directed to such computer program products.
  • Computer programs are stored in main memory and/or secondary memory. Computer programs may also be received via a communications interface. Such computer programs, when executed, enable the computer system to perform the features of the present invention as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, enable the processor to perform the features of the present invention. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the computer system.
  • the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into the computer system using the removable storage drive, hard drive or communications interface.
  • the control logic when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the functions of the invention as described herein.
  • the invention is implemented primarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs).
  • ASICs application specific integrated circuits
  • the invention is implemented using a combination of both hardware and software.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)
  • Data Exchanges In Wide-Area Networks (AREA)
  • Communication Cables (AREA)
US10/072,175 2001-02-07 2002-02-07 System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients Expired - Lifetime US7668916B2 (en)

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US10/072,175 US7668916B2 (en) 2001-02-07 2002-02-07 System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients
US12/660,165 US8078680B2 (en) 2001-02-07 2010-02-22 System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients
US13/313,360 US8700720B2 (en) 2001-02-07 2011-12-07 System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients
US14/251,810 US9179003B2 (en) 2001-02-07 2014-04-14 System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients

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US26685401P 2001-02-07 2001-02-07
US10/072,175 US7668916B2 (en) 2001-02-07 2002-02-07 System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients

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US13/313,360 Expired - Lifetime US8700720B2 (en) 2001-02-07 2011-12-07 System architecture for linking packet-switched and circuit-switched clients
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US8700720B2 (en) 2014-04-15
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ATE481806T1 (de) 2010-10-15
EP1366607A1 (de) 2003-12-03
US20120176943A1 (en) 2012-07-12
JP2004527156A (ja) 2004-09-02
US9179003B2 (en) 2015-11-03
US20020107923A1 (en) 2002-08-08
JP3765014B2 (ja) 2006-04-12
US8078680B2 (en) 2011-12-13
US20140219138A1 (en) 2014-08-07
EP1366607A4 (de) 2005-09-21
WO2002063840A1 (en) 2002-08-15

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